The centenary of the Somme

25 April 2016

By Holly Wadsworth-Hill

As we mark the Centenary of the Somme we are pleased to be able to offer a once in a lifetime experience to visit the Somme battlefields in this centenary year. This four-day tour also attends the closing ceremony, taking place at the Thiepval Memorial on the 18th November, commemorating the end of this gruelling 141-day battle, as well as a visit to some of the memorials and sites associated with this defining battle of the First World War.

This week we had the pleasure of speaking with The Royal British Legion about their involvement in the marking of the centenary of the Somme. We also found out more about the Legion’s work, its history and its importance to the next generation.

Q: Can you tell us about the work that is done by The Royal British Legion on a day to day basis and why it remains so important?

A: The Royal British Legion’s work is encapsulated in its motto: Live On – to the memory of the fallen and the future of the living. This reflects the dual nature of the Legion’s work as the nation’s custodian of Remembrance, ensuring that the sacrifices made on behalf of the nation are honoured and remembered, but also as the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, providing care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present and their families.

That care and support is incredibly wide ranging from offering break centres for Service families to get away from it all after a tour of duty to running the Legion-funded Battle Back Centre which provides sport and adventurous training courses for wounded, injured and sick Service men and women as part of recovery. The support on offer is designed to make a real difference to people’s lives whether that be in the Legion’s specialist dementia care homes, helping veterans with their war injury compensation claims or doing much needed odd jobs around the house.

Q: When, why and by whom was The Royal British Legion first formed?

A: The British Legion was formed on 15th May 1921, bringing together four national organisations of ex-Servicemen that had established themselves after the First World War. The main purpose of the Legion was straightforward: to care for those who had suffered as a result of service in the Armed Forces during the war, whether through their own service or through that of a husband, father or son.

Even those who had come through the war relatively unscathed struggled with employment. As a result of the war, Britain's economy plummeted and in 1921 there were two million unemployed. Over six million men had served in the war. Of those who came back, 1.75 million had suffered some kind of disability and half of these were permanently disabled. Added to this figure were the families who depended on those who had gone to war - the wives and children, widows and orphans as well as the parents who had lost sons in the war, who often contributed to the household income.

The situation so moved Lancastrian Lance Bombardier Tom Lister, that he decided that if the government was either unable or unwilling to do anything to improve the lives of ex-Servicemen, he would do something about it himself. This eventually led to the formation of The British Legion.

Thiepval War Memorial

Q: Can you outline your current campaigns and tell us what you are hoping to achieve for 2016?

A: As this year marks 100 years since the Battle of the Somme, one of the Legion’s main focuses in 2016 is to help as many people as possible to commemorate those who fell. The aim is to help communities to remember in whatever way they feel most comfortable and this will be achieved through the provision of free toolkits. There is also a full programme of Legion-led events and activities at the National Memorial Arboretum, the UK's year-round centre of Remembrance.

2016 also marks the Legion’s first year supporting the Invictus Games, the international sports competition for wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and veterans. Providing support to the friends and families of the UK Team, the Legion is working to ensure family and friends can be there to support the athletes every step of the way, recognising the vital role they play in aiding recovery.

And of course, the Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal runs from mid-October until the Remembrance period in November and sees extraordinary support from the British public. The funds that are raised across the Appeal play a huge role in enabling the charity to go on providing the vital care and support that it does.

Q: How is The Royal British Legion involved with marking the centenary of the Somme?

A: The impact of the battle was felt very deeply at the local level by nearly every community in the UK, particularly as a result of the ‘Pals battalions’ which were raised in towns and villages, workplaces and sports clubs. The Pals joined up together, trained together, went into battle together and, sadly, often died together.

In 2016 the Legion is involved in many activities over the 141 days that the battle raged 100 years ago, all with the aim of providing as many opportunities as possible to commemorate those who fell in battle. Promoting that aim, a free toolkit has been developed, Remember the Somme 1916 – 2016, to help communities hold their own Remembrance events in recognition of the local scars that were left by the First World War. The toolkit contains everything one needs to host a commemorative event and is available to order in hard copy or to download from www.britishlegion.org.uk/somme100.

The horrific scenes of battle took place in Northern France and there will be many planning to travel to the region to personally reflect on the family members who fell, visiting the places they perished. Providing a central point of Remembrance on each of the 141 days, the Legion is leading a daily act of Remembrance at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Although free to attend, numbers may be restricted so those wishing to attend should register their interest at www.britishlegion.org.uk/somme141.

Q: Why is it so important that we remember and encourage others to do so?

A: Remembrance is a vital part of modern British life, culture and heritage. Remembrance 100 years ago reflected the harsh reality that almost every family and community in Britain had been directly affected by the First World War. Remembrance today connects all that have died and been affected by the many conflicts since the First World War, including more recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, faiths and political opinions.

Q: Tell us a little about your work with young people and your commitment to helping them understand Remembrance, conflict and the importance of peace.

A: The Legion is committed to helping young people understand the issues of Remembrance, conflict and the importance of peace. To achieve this, a free learning resource for schools is produced each year, designed to assist teachers and others working with young people. It is sent to more than 55,000 schools and youth organisations across the UK and in 2015 it reached two and a half million young people.

In addition, the Legion is always seeking new and innovative ways to engage younger audiences in these important subjects. This year the Legion has partnered with historian Dan Snow to produce a free app for smart phones and tablets which is free to download from iTunes and Google Play from 9th May. The app provides an insight into the events of the Battle of the Somme as they unfolded 100 years ago, and the experiences of the men who fought in it.

Q: How can people get involved and support The Royal British Legion?

A: There are many ways to get involved with the Legion in support of its vital work through a range of volunteering opportunities.

From volunteering as a Poppy Appeal collector to becoming a case worker, providing important information and support to members of the Armed Forces community, to becoming an information volunteer offering a friendly face in one of the Legion’s 16 high street Pop-in centres across the country, there are so many ways to lend your support. The best way to find out more is to visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved.

Do you know a Normandy Veteran?

We are working with the Royal British Legion to provide LIBOR Fine funded free trips for Veterans plus two carers or family members to return to Normandy in 2016.
These very special trips will take Veterans to the heart of Normandy’s rich and eventful WWII history and the beaches immortalised by the D-Day landings.

Royal British Legion guides will accompany each trip and set the itinerary following consultation with the Veterans as to where they served in Normandy hence each tour is unique and enables them to pay their respects to fallen comrades at CWGC cemeteries in the area including Bayeux Cemetery and Ranville War Cemetery. Veterans will also have time to visit key sites such as the Mulberry Harbour, Pegasus Bridge, Café Gondree, Point Du Hoc, Sword, Juno, Gold and Omaha beaches and take part in Acts of Remembrance services and wreath laying ceremonies.

If you know anyone who could be eligible, please ask them to call 01473 660 800 to register their interest.

Published by Mail Travel, a division of Associated Newspapers Limited, a company registered in England under company number 84121 with a registered office at Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT

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